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Green light likely for Kenmore Bypass

Beleaguered western suburbs commuters could be one step closer
to traffic nirvana with the State Government tipped to give the
Kenmore Bypass a preliminary tick of approval.

The Department of Main Roads has completed a pre-feasibility
study into the 3.3km bypass, which would take motorists from
Moggill Road at Pinjarra Hills through to the Centenary
Highway.

It would use an existing transport corridor near the old
university veterinary farm to allow up to 25,000 cars each day to
completely bypass Kenmore.

The area has long caused peak hour pain for commuters travelling
along Moggill Road where Kenmore Road, Brookfield Road and Marshall
Lane feed in.

Chronic congestion leading up to the roundabout in central
Kenmore and two primary schools that front on to Moggill Road have
often sparked safety fears.

A Main Roads spokesperson said the department would not release
the bypass pre-feasibility report publicly until the Government
made a final decision on whether to do further planning.

But the Liberal Member for Moggill Bruce Flegg said he was told
in a "very constructive" meeting with Main Roads
Minister Warren Pitt that the government would give
the green light to further studies in to the project.

"The indication I was given was that there would be an
allocation in the forthcoming budget to progress the project beyond
the pre-feasibility point, which would include community
consultation and some other, further work," Dr Flegg said.

Main Roads said no decision to construct the bypass had been
made, but Dr Flegg said he was "most encouraged" by his meeting
with Mr Pitt last Thursday.

"It's one more small step but it's at least a step in the right
direction," he said.

"(Moggill Road) is the most unacceptable road situation in the
whole of Brisbane. On a regular basis it will take two hours in the
morning to get from Bellbowrie to destinations in the city.

"No community deserves to have its transport needs neglected in
that way," he said.

Dr Flegg also said community surveys he conducted revealed 3000
families indicated Moggill Road was a serious problem and 94 per
cent favoured a bypass at Kenmore.